Artificially cooled display case



May 26, 1931. w. ABRAHAMSON 1,807,332

I I ARTIFICIALLY COOLED DISPLAY CASE Filed Nov. 16, 1929 II-1141772107?@n mm jf;-

Patented May 26, 1931 PARENT` OFFICE WILLIAM ABRAHAJ'VISON, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS ARTIFIGIALLY COOLED DISPLAY CASE Application led November 16,1929. Serial No. 407,642.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a displa case for cutflowers andl the like, that combines an artificially cooled compartmentfor containing the articles on display with means for illuminating thedisplay by means of electric lampsthat are themselves not apparent tothe person viewing the display. There are other objects that willappear.

With reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1 shows a sidesection view along the line 1-1 in Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view along the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the top, in a modified embodiment, showing thelamps of a. portion of the top, together with the three glass platesforming the insulating barrier.

I am aware that it is not new to display cut flowers, and the like, in aglass enclosed show case, which is artificially cooled, but I believethat I am the first to devise such a show case wherein means forilluminating thevdisplay space is accomplished by means of electriclamps which are so positioned and arranged that a diffused light fromthese lamps causes the display space to be uniformly illuminated fromartificial light sources not apparent to the observer, and thus the saidsources in themselves will not attract the attention of the observerfrom the iiowers or other merchandise on display in the display case.

With further reference to the drawings, there is a cooling unitcompartment 12, which may contain ice or other suitable cooling agent,or a coil of pipes or other mechanical means for containing circulatingcooling brine or other agency. This compartment is not essentiallydifferent in purpose from the cooling unitchambers found in well knownrefrigerators. i

The display compartment 13 is contiguous to the compartment 12,separated by a suitable dividing wall 15, which has a lower opening 16along the bottom or floor line for permitting cooled air from thecooling unit to pass into the display compartment 13. There is an upperopening along the top or ceiling line for permitting the warmer airarising to the ceiling of the display compartment to pass over into thecooling umt chamber. That is to say, there is a current of cooled aircontinually passing from the source of cold down through the opening 16,and a current of warmer air, as would naturally arise to the ceiling topass into the cooling unit chamber to take the place of cooled airleaving it at the bottom via the opening 16 referred to.

The display compartment 13 has two 60 shelves, 17 and 18 suitablyaffixed to the dividing wall 15. These shelves are for carrying theflowers or other articles on display.

T he door 20 used in entering the display comipartment has transparentglass plates 21 and 22, spaced about two inches apart forming an airspace to enhance the insulating qualities over what a single glass platefor the door would aii'ord. The door panel is therefore transparent andthe flowers or other articles on the shelves 17 and 18 may be viewedthrough thisl door, which is swung by the hinges-23. A similar door 25is on the opposite side of the display compartment to facilitateentering the said compartnient from either side.

The front wall 27 of the display compartment consists of two plates oftransparent glass, spaced about two inches apart to enhance theinsulating qualities.

The top ofthe cooling unit compartment 12 is made of a ceiling of woodor other suitable material 28 and an outside covering 29 of wood orother suitable material, there being an air space 30 .of about twoinches 85 between the ceiling and outside covering to enhance theinsulating qualities. In Vfact this space, as well as the similarlyarranged back wall 32, may be filled with suitable in-. sulatingmaterial so as to prevent as far as practicable the cooling agent fromabsorbing heat from outside the display case.

A salient feature of my invention is the ceiling and top of the displaycompartment and the method of lighting the compartment as will appear.The ceiling consists of two plates of glass 34 and 35 spaced about twoinches apart so as to have an air insulating characteristic in order toprevent vas far as practicable heat being absorbed by the air of thedisplay compartment from the outside air and from the lamps 38 locatedabove the plate 35. The plate 34 is preferably made of white-opal glass,so that while it is translucent enough to prevent seeing the outline ofthe lamp bulbs above, it is transparent enough to notseriously screenthe light emitted from the lanrps, and it serves to diffuse this lightover the interior of the display compartment. The glass plate 35 istransparent.

The top 40 of the display compartment is covered by wood or othersuitable material so as to prevent the light reflecting out into theroom containing the display case. Moreover, the under face of the top 40is faced with polished sheet aluminum or other light reflecting materialnot easily affected by the heat of the lamps 38 to further enhance thediffusion efficiency of the lighting of the interior of the displaycase. That is, in place of permitting the light directed upward towardsthe wooden top toV be largely absorbed, this light is reflected backmore or less diffused and passes through the transparent plate 35 andthe translucent plate 34 to the interior of the display compartment.

While I have referred to the plate 34 being of White-opal glass, it isto be understood that this glass, or suitable substitute material,may'llie of any desired color depending upon the tint of lighting it maybe desired to have on the display. Moreover, this plate 34 may be madeinterchangeable if desired so that the tint rof the illumination may bechanged from time to time, in order to change the effect and continue tobe attractive to those who may see it often.

The top of the display compartment has small vent holes 41 to permitheated air from the lamps to readily escape and so hold down thetemperature in this space to as low point as practicable.

At each of the front corners 45 is a pair of plates of glass 46,disposed similarly to the plates 34 and 35, and a'plurality of electriclamps 47 positioned behind the pair of plates 46. These plates arepositioned approximately two inches apart, the plate nearest the lampbeing clear glass, and the plate facing the display compartment beingwhite-opal, having in mind, of course, that this may be varied with thecolor chosen for the top, as referred to, or there may be a blending ofcolors. That is, the translucent plate for the corners may notnecessarily correspond with that used in the top, depending upon theeffectdesired.

The space in the corner partitioned off by the pair of plates 46enclosing the lamps 47 is preferably covered by polished sheet aluminumof other suitable reflecting material to insure obtaining the maximum ofillamination and diffusion of light in the dis- Leonesa playcompartment, consistent with the candle power of the lamps 47.

Suitable air vents will be provided at the bottom and top of the cornerspaces 45 to allow the heat from the lamps 47 to escape.

It is thus seen that I have provided an attractive artificially cooleddisplay case wherein it may be attractively illuminated by means oflight sources that are not obtrusive to the viewer, detracting hisattention from the display, while at the same time so arranged that theheat emitted from these lights is not absorbed by air in the displaycase and therefore in itself saving considerable in refrigerationexpense.

While the exemplary disclosure chosen to illustrate my invention relatesto displaying cut flowers or the like to persons viewing it from thesides and front', it will be understood that my invention may beemployed in other ways. For example, the display case may be made lowerand so varied in design that its top 50 will answer for a counterwherein articles of food are displayed below. Under this condition themodification shown in Fig. 3 may be employed. The plates 34 and 35correspond to plates 34 and 35, respectively. Then there is an addedtransparent plate glass 51 placed over the lamps,

52. The top 50, which may serve as a counter may be made of White-opalglass or other material. In fact, this top may be made of transparentglass. Suitable air-vent holes 53 are placed in plate 51, and suitableair-vent holes 54 are placed in the top 50, said air-vent holes beingarranged in staggered relation, whereby the heated air from the lampcompartment may readily escape without permitting the entrance of theoutside cold air.

By providing the multi-layered glass top for the display chamber 13, itwill be noted that said chamber may be efficiently and effectivelyilluminated by exterior flood lights, or by the usual ceiling lightsused in the illummation of the store or room in which the refrigeratormay be placed, thus eliminating the use of any interior lightingfixtures, such as the lamps 52 and 47. It will therefore be apparentthat I have provided a construction of display case, whereby theartificially cooled display chamber provided therein may be fullyilluminated by lighting means disposed outside of the case.

I claim:

A refrigerated show case, comprising bottom, top, rear and side walls, amulti-layered window closing the front of said case, multilayered glazeddoors forclosing the sides of said case, and a multi-layered glass topfor said case, a vertical wall disposed adjacent the rear wall andspaced therefrom to form a cooling chamber and a display chamber, thesaid wall being spaced from the top and bottom walls of the case toprovide passages for the circulation of air between said cooling anddisplay chambers, the multi-layered glass top comprising a pair ofspaced double plate glass sections between which is formed a compartmentadapted to permit the mounting therein of a plurality of incandescentbulbs for illuminating .the display chamber,

the outer one of said double plate glass sections formin the top Wall ofthe case being provided Wit a lurality of staggered ventilating openingsor permitting the escape of the heated air from said lamp compartment.In testimony whereof, I aix my si nature.

WILLIAM ABRAH SON.

